In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus for preserving food and other items in a cool or a frozen state by circulating cold air that is generated via a cooling system.
Typically, a refrigerator has a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber disposed at the upper and lower sides of the refrigerator, respectively. Recently, refrigerators with two storage chambers disposed side-by-side are also available on the market. Such a side-by-side refrigerator is often equipped with a water dispenser coupled to a water purifier and used to supply drinking water (water or any beverage which is consumable or may be used to cook food) or ice.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a refrigerator 100 in the related art includes a main frame 110 having a machine chamber (not illustrated), a freezing chamber 120, and a refrigerating chamber 130. A freezing chamber door 122 and a refrigerating chamber door 132 are hingedly coupled to the main frame 110.
A water supply valve (not illustrated) is provided in the machine chamber formed behind the main frame 110.
A dispenser 124 for dispensing drinking water is disposed at the front side of the freezing chamber door 122. A water tank 140 for storing drinking water supplied to the dispenser 124 is provided behind a refrigerator drawer 130. The water supply pipe 153 is coupled to the water tank 140 via the water supply valve. The other end of the water tank 140 is coupled to a water drain pipe 155 used to supply drinking water to the dispenser 124.
However, according to a refrigerator in the related art, the water tank is usually designed to be enclosed in a case disposed in the machine chamber. It is difficult for a user to locate and access the water tank for maintenance or replacement. Further, the structure of the water tank makes it difficult for a user to replace the water tank. Accordingly, a user cannot easily remove unwanted foreign substances accumulated on the water tank, such as substances produced by the dispenser or the ice maker.